[News from the news center] From May 4 to May 15, the Confucius Institute Summer Camp of the University of Toledo (UT) was successfully held at our school. Ten campers from UT Confucius Institute participated in summer camp-related exchange activities. The summer camp was led by Prof. Noela Haughton and Prof. Marcella Kehus from UT’s Education Department. The students who participated in the program were all undergraduates, postgraduates and doctoral students in pedagogy related majors from UT.
Campers are in English language class at Jianshelu Primary School
American teacher Jonathan Wu’s oral English lesson (Photos above by Division of International Cooperation)
The Division of International Cooperation arranged a variety of activities for the summer camp, including observing a comprehensive English class of teachers from School of Foreign Studies and an oral English class of an American teacher, and communicating face-to-face with teachers and students of School of Foreign Studies; paying visits to New Century Middle School and Jianshelu Primary School in Qinhuangdao City observing their Chinese language and English language classroom teaching, participating the classroom interaction; getting involved in Chinese language and cultural studies; visiting the Confucius Institute Headquarters/Hanban, having cultural tours of Beijing and Qinhuangdao cities, and experiencing Chinese traditional cultures such as martial and tea arts.
The project aims to build students’ general capacity in non-western cultures by acquiring and using language and cultural skills through Chinese language learning, cultural activities, classroom observations, questionnaire surveys, internships, classroom interaction between Chinese and American students, and joint Chinese-American teacher guidance. By discussing the similarities and differences in teaching methods, teaching assessment and leadership policies and practices between China and the United States, the series of activities help students fully understand cultural differences, learn how to develop effective cross-cultural communications, master international competitiveness and assessment methods, classify disciplines with a global perspective, and fulfill the due social responsibility of future international educators. This summer camp is an annual event organized by the Confucius Institute Headquarters/National Office of Hanban and jointly organized by YSU and the Confucius Institute at UT.
[Translated by Lv Bo]
